Happy August! The heat keeps going—but so does the Coachella Valley entertainment. Here are the best places to escape the heat this month.
Acrisure Arena features a diverse lineup of arena-worthy shows. At 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 1, iconic ’80s band Tears for Fears will have everyone wanting to rule the world. Tickets start at $33.50. Mexican rap pioneer Santa Fe Klan intends to bring a powerful performance at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 5. Tickets start at $40.50. At 8 p.m., Friday, Aug. 18, experience Marco Antonio Solis, one of Latin music’s most important figures. Tickets start at $81. Country superstar Dierks Bentley heads to town at 7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 19. Tickets start at $56. Enjoy a unique performance from Christian Nodal, the creator of the mariachi and norteño hybrid genre mariacheño, at 8 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 26. Tickets start at $67. Acrisure Arena, 75702 Varner Road, Palm Desert; 888-695-8778; www.acrisurearena.com.
Tickets are moving fast for Fantasy Springs shows! At 7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 12, legendary co-ed Korean vocal group Koyote will perform in Indio. Remaining tickets (as of this writing) start at $39. Latin icons will take the Fantasy Springs stage at 8 p.m., Friday, Aug. 18, when Los Tigres Del Norte perform their norteño hits. Remaining tickets start at $79. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www.fantasyspringsresort.com.
Two events are set for Spotlight 29 Casino this month. At 3 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 3, celebrate legendary singer Tony Bennett’s 97th birthday with the Tony Bennett Day tribute show, featuring performances from Carmen Romano as Tony Bennett and Erika Moul as Lady Gaga. The event is free. Country singer Trace Adkins will visit Coachella at 7 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 6. Tickets start at $60. You must be 21 or older to attend Spotlight 29 shows. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-775-5566; www.spotlight29.com.
Morongo Casino is offering many opportunities to catch a show. Latin artist Virlan Garcia will grace the high desert at 8 p.m., Friday, Aug. 4. Tickets start at $39. At 9 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 5, witness a unique performance from ’70s rockers Three Dog Night. Tickets start at $39. The duo of singer Della Ding Dang and actor Aaryn Cheung will offer a night of music at 5 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 6. Remaining tickets start at $98. At 8 p.m., Friday, Aug. 18, witness R&B singer, actress and the “Godmother of Soul” Patti LaBelle perform. Tickets start at $79. Latin sensation Banda Maguey will be desert bound at 9 p.m. Remaining tickets start at $39. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-252-4499; www.morongocasinoresort.com.
Agua Caliente in Rancho Mirage is bringing a number of acts to The Show. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 5, enjoy artist collective Duyen Minh Lo. Remaining tickets start at $68. Returning to The Show stage yet again at 8 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 19, is Australia’s Thunder From Down Under, the No. 1 male revue in the world! Tickets start at $15. Comedian, actress, and creator of Two Broke Girls Whitney Cummings will bring the laughs to town at 8 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 26. Tickets start at $35. Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www.aguacalientecasinos.com.
Agua Caliente in Palm Springs means three great residency series all month. Desert Blues Revival Wednesdays offer rockabilly blues from The Jackpot Club (Aug. 2), the soulful sounds of Oscar Jesus Bugarin (Aug. 9), dynamic rockabilly rockers The Centuries (Aug. 16), and ’50s/’60s rock revivalists The Rayford Brothers (Aug. 23). Shows are at 7 p.m., and tickets start at $10, available at eventspalmsprings.com. Jazzville Thursdays welcome vocalist Judy Wexler and her quintet (Aug. 3), vintage lounge with Bobbi DeCarlo (Aug. 10), the powerhouse sensation of Bob DeSena Latin Jazz (Aug. 17), the musical combo of Kait Dunton and Andrew Synowiec Band (Aug. 24) and a jazz journey with Natalie Hanna Mendoza (Aug. 31). Shows take place at 7 p.m., and tickets start at $15, available at jazzvillepalmsprings.com. Caliente Comedy Fridays showcase Blake Bartee (Aug. 4), Jason Stuart (Aug. 11), an LGBTQ Showcase headlined by Pink Foxx (Aug. 18) and Steven Briggs (Aug. 25). Shows are at 8 p.m., and tickets start at $7.99, available at www.eventspalmsprings.com. Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs, 401 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs; 888-999-1995; www.sparesortcasino.com.
Pappy and Harriet’s is combating the summer heat with nonstop nightlife. At 8 p.m., Thursday Aug. 3, the psychedelic cumbia punk outfit Tropa Magica returns to the desert yet again. Tickets are $22. Pappy’s gets horn-y at 9:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 4 when the seven-piece Dirty Dozen Brass Band brings saxes, trumpets and more to town. Tickets start at $30. At 9 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 12, singer, rapper and musician Uncle Kracker will perform. Tickets are $30. 1990s rappers Souls of Mischief celebrate 30 years of their hit song and album 93 ’Til Infinity with a Pioneertown performance at 8 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 16. Tickets are $30. After spending time with Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter heads to the hi-desert as a solo musician for an evening of guitar wizardry at 9:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 19. Tickets start at $39.50. At 8 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 22, Mexican regional music and ranchera trio Yahritza y Su Esencia is set to perform. Tickets start at $40. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-228-2222; www.pappyandharriets.com.
Oscar’s in Palm Springs has some unique August additions. Beloved local rockers The Dreamboats have a new residency, performing at Oscar’s every Wednesday at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15. At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 8 and Aug. 22, enjoy Fun With Deven and Ned, a night of entertainment, games and more. Tickets are $25. At 7 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 24, catch an evening of top-notch drag with Dreamgirls Revue. Tickets are $15. Oscar’s Palm Springs, 125 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs; 760-325-1188; oscarspalmsprings.com/events.
Matt, what a terrific lineup we have within our reach. It’s actually makes me dizzy just reading and then trying to organize where I will be and how nothing will conflict. You’ve done a great job. Thank you.
Great entertainment coverage.
Thank you!